More Current Affairs:

Transcript

Aust opposes UN anti-torture changes

AM Archive - Friday, 26 July , 2002 00:00:00

Reporter:

LINDA MOTTRAM: In the company of much-criticised countries like Cuba, China, Libya and Sudan, but also on the same side as Japan, Australia has voted against changes to the United Nations convention against torture, that would have given inspectors the right to enter Australian detention facilities unannounced.

Australia's position stands in contrast to that taken by European nations and even the United States, which wanted to cruel the move, chose abstention rather than outright opposition.

For the Government's view, a short time ago I spoke to Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer.

ALEXANDER DOWNER: This isn't the convention on torture itself, this is an amendment to the convention on torture.

LINDA MOTTRAM: So are you saying that it is prospective that Australia could sign up to the amendment in the future?

ALEXANDER DOWNER: Well we probably wouldn't in its present circumstances because, as the amendment currently stands, UN officials from some countries around the world would be able to come into an Australian prison, such as Pentridge Prison, and just walk into the prison without the permission of officials in order to examine whether there is any torturing going on in that prison.

Well obviously there isn't torture going on in Australian prisons. I must say I do think that goes without saying and secondly I do think it's appropriate that if United Nations officials are going to come to Australia, that they seek the agreement of the Australian Government to come to our country, not just walk in without any agreement.

We have those concerns and we would like those concerns to be discussed and negotiated more fully and we are disappointed that those procedures and have been circumvented.

LINDA MOTTRAM: Do you think that UN officials, inspectors, investigators should be allowed access though to Australian prisons and detention centres presumably?

ALEXANDER DOWNER: Well, I mean, this is of course particularly focussing on the issue of torture, whether in our prisons we would be torturing people, which we obviously don't and that is against Australian laws.

So there is no question of that and I think the answer to your question is that we think UN officials should seek the agreement of the Federal, as well as in this case the State governments, to have access to our prisons not just get off the plane at Melbourne airport and get a cab to Pentridge and walk into the prison.

LINDA MOTTRAM: Presumably though if, as you say, there is no torture going on in our prisons then we wouldn't have any objection to somebody coming in to have a look?

ALEXANDER DOWNER: Well we probably wouldn't have any objection to somebody coming and having a look but we would want them to seek our agreement to do so.

LINDA MOTTRAM: Are you concern that Australia is being seen to side with countries like Cuba and Libya and Sudan in this vote?

ALEXANDER DOWNER: Well we sided with Japan with this vote and I notice the Opposition says that it's a disgrace that we side with countries like Japan.

If I may say so, Japan is one of the countries in the world which is closest to Australia in its political and other stances and it's our largest trading partner. It's a very important country in our own region.

I'm not concerned that we should end up voting with a country like Japan. Obviously, we vote with a number of other countries as well, but remember this is a very limited vote in the sense that this was just in the economic and social commission. This isn't the totality of the United Nations.

LINDA MOTTRAM: Do you have any specific concerns about additional UN officials coming to see Australia's detention centres that hold asylum seekers?

ALEXANDER DOWNER: No, No, this has nothing to do with the issue of detention centres and asylum seekers. As you know, we have allowed United Nations officials to come to the detention centres, we have allowed them to talk to the asylum seekers, but we have insisted that they seek our agreement to do that.

We haven't just said that they can wonder in without seeking the agreement of the appropriate Australian authority and I think any reasonable person would understand that that was the appropriate way to proceed.